Tokyo Times

May 11 2006 4 Comments

Bottoms up

Underwear maker Triumph International has never shied away from cashing in on social or sporting affairs, producing goods marking the creation of a new baseball team, Japan’s energy saving ‘Warm Biz’ campaign and even the issue of postal privatisation. Now however it’s the more penetrating problem of the nation’s overall well-being.

Yet what may initially appear as a garment designed to rebuff possible rear-guard reconnaissance missions, is actually — and quite literally —about more productive forms of activity, namely halting the country’s falling birth rate; Triumph’s pioneering panties reading, ‘stop the birth rate decline’.

A drive that whilst hopefully successful, will not produce too many youngsters like the one pictured above.

May 10 2006 Leave a Comment

Showa shivers

Pictured below is a poster for an exhibition in Tokyo detailing the lives of children during the Showa era (1926-1989) — focusing primarily on the years after the war. An event that should prove nostalgic to those brought up during the period, and a source of interest to much younger viewers, allowing them a peek into a relatively recent yet radically different world.

However regardless of its obvious educational merits, the deranged and disturbing dolls on show look set to put off even the most valiant of visitors.

(click image for heightened horrors)

May 09 2006 4 Comments

Marital misery

“I wanted him to keep working but I’ve accepted now he’s going to come home. I’m just going to spend more time out of the house. I’d divorce him, but it’s too much trouble at my age.”

Hatae Ishizaki expressing distinct reservations about her 59-year-old husband’s impending retirement.

Well, virtual stranger glimpsed late at night or in between games of golf her husband may be, but numerous years spent enjoying long luncheons and trips with friends means that yes, divorce probably is ‘too much trouble’. Come next year however, when the law changes and allows women up to 50% of their husband’s retirement benefits, it might be a very different story altogether.

A situation that means Mr Ishizaki and millions more like him had better realise that it’s time to start talking and taking an interest, or alternatively it’ll be time to take up cooking lessons and work out how that contraption in the corner that cleans clothes works.

May 08 2006 2 Comments

Hotel honesty

Rather disappointingly, most love hotel owners attempt to cloak their establishment’s short-stay shenanigans with bland and utterly unrelated names. Others go even further by endeavouring to give their business a higher worth, hinting at an almost principled pursuit.